According to an item on Sixers, Bob Menendez may be in a bit more hot water with federal authorities than he’s previously been willing to admit. Why else would an appointed U.S. Senator need the help of a criminal defense attorney?

Yesterday we learned that despite repeated denials that he is under federal criminal investigation, Bob Menendez tapped nationally renowned criminal defense attorney Joseph Hayden to contact the U.S. Attorney's office on his behalf.

The Menendez campaign claims that Hayden contacted the U.S. Attorney's office as a "favor." A Menendez spokesman declined to detail the nature of Hayden's conversations with federal authorities stating, "I'm just not going to go there."

If Bob Menendez wants the voters of New Jersey to give him a six year term in the U.S. Senate he must answer these important questions. Why is Hayden engaged if Menendez is not under investigation? What did Menendez learn from Hayden after the initial phone call? When did the first contact between Hayden and the U.S. Attorney's office take place?

You may remember Joseph Hayden as the defense attorney for Jayson Willimas, the former basketball player and NBA announcer for NBC who was on trial for shooting a limousine driver at his home in New Jersey.